Part 38 (2/2)
”Hallo!” shouted Gwyn; ”what are you doing here?”
”Smoking,” said the man, coolly.
”Well, I can see that,” cried Gwyn. ”How is it you are not at work?”
”'Cause a man can't go on for ever without stopping. Man aren't a clock, as only wants winding up once a week; must have rest sometimes.”
”Well, you have the night for rest,” said Gwyn, sharply.
”Sometimes,” said Dina.s.s; ”but I was working the pump all last night.”
”Oh, then you're off work to-day?”
”That's so, young gentleman, and getting warm again in the sun. It was precious cold down there in the night, and I got wet right through to my backbone. I'm only just beginning to get a bit dried now.”
”Look here, Ydoll,” said Joe, sharply; ”he'll have been talking to Sam Hardock about it, I know. Here, Tom Dina.s.s, what about that hobby up-and-down thing Sam Hardock wants to have in the mine?”
”'Stead of ladders? Well, what about it?”
”It's all nonsense, isn't it?”
”Well, I shouldn't call it nonsense,” said the man, thoughtfully, as he took his pipe out of his mouth and sat thinking.
”What do you call it, then?” said Joe.
”Mellancolly, sir, that's what I call it--mellancolly.”
”Because it won't work?” cried Joe.
”But it would work, wouldn't it?” said Gwyn.
”Oh, yes, sir, it would work,” said the man, ”because the engine would pump it up and down.”
”Of course it would,” said Joe; ”but what's the use of having a thing that pumps up and down, unless it's to bring up water?”
”Ay, but this is a thing as pumps men up and down,” said Dina.s.s.
”Gammon! It's impossible.”
Dina.s.s looked at him in astonishment.
”No, it aren't,” he said gruffly. ”I've been pumped up and down one times enough, so I ought to know.”
”You have?” said Gwyn, eagerly.
”Ay, over Redruth way.”
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